Fish elevator



May 13, 1941. w E SCHLQTHAN 2,241,934

\FISH ELEVATOR Filed Oct. 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MAL/4M F. 5c/4L0m/4N ATTORNEY.

y 1941- w. F. SCHLOTHAN 2,241,934

FISH ELEVATOR Filed 001;. 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORN E Y.

Patented May 13, 1941 FISH ELEVATOR William F. Schlothan, Ketchikan, Territory of Ala Application October 13, 1939, Serial No. 299,292

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in elevators, and has reference more particularly to elevators of the continuous belt, bucket type, especially designed for the unloading of the fresh.- ly caught fish from the hold of a fishing boat; it being the principal object of the invention to provide a vertical lift elevator whereby the fish may be scooped up, lifted and delivered from a boat without the usual sliding contact'with chutes or troughs during the lifting operation, and wherein buckets of special design provide for a greater capacity than is possible by the usual types of elevators now in general use.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an elevator in the form of a portable unit, adapted to be readily placed in or removed from a boat, as required, and which is equipped with its own power unit that adapts it for transfer from boat I to boat if which should be desired.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of parts of the device, in their combination and mode of operation. as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a side view of an elevator embodied by the present invention, parts being infsejction for purpose of better illustration.

Fig. 2 is another side view'of the elevator, showing the removablecover boards usedat that side.

Fig. 3 is a cross section, taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the buckets and a part of the conveyor chain.

Referring more in detail to the drawings: l designates a part of a fishing boat of the usual type, having a hold 2 for reception of the fish,

and equipped with a sump 3 into which contents of the boat may be drained for removal. The deck of the boat is designated at 4 and this is provided with a hatch 5, through which the present elevator mechanism, designated in its entirety by reference character 6, is applied for use.

The present elevator mechanism comprises a frame structure of rectangular form in cross section, as noted best in Fig. 3, and of a substantial, vertical height so that when disposed in a boat for use with its lower end portion disposed in the sump, its upper end position will be substantially above the deck of the boat, as

understood by reference to Fig. 1. The frame structure comprises the four vertical, corner posts ID that xtend substantially the full length of the elevator frame, and to which sheet metal side plates II are fixed, on three sides of the frame, to form an enclosed, vertical shaft. The plates ll extend somewhat above the hatch and serve to retain the fish that may fill the hold, against sliding into the shaft. On its fourth side, the frame structure is closed by a succession of cover boards I2, disposed edge to edge and one above the other, across the space between corner posts I0 and are adapted to be retained at their ends in vertical guideways l3l3 that are formed by angle iron bars [4 fixed to the corner posts at that side as disclosed in Fig. 3. The wallformed by the succession of boards l2 may extend to a height equal to the plates II, and it serves to retain the fish from entering the elevator shaft at that side, except as desired, and as provided for by removal of the boards.

At the upper end of the main, or vertical, frame structure formed by the posts Ill and wall plates II, is a laterally extending frame structure l5 comprising co-extensive horizontal beams l6 and .11 connected at their outer ends by vertical bars l8. Overlying the top end of the frame structure is a cover plate l9.

. .E'xtending from the lower end of the frame structure, at opposite sides, are semi-circular plates 20, which rest against the bottom of the sump, and mounted across the lower end of the elevator frame structure is a cross shaft 25, revolubly mounted at its ends in bearings 26 fixed on cross bars 21 that join the lower end of the vertical beams l0. At the upper end of the elevator shaft or elevator frame, is a cross shaft 28 mounted revolubly at its ends in bearings 29 that are fixed on the frame beams or bars ll. Also, parallel with the shaft 28 and mounted by bearings 30 fixed to the bars I! at the outer end portion of the lateral frame structure I5 is a shaft 32. As will be noted best in Fig. 2, mounted on the various shafts 25, 28 and 32, near the opposite side walls of the frame structure, and in parallel, vertical planes, are paired sprocket wheels 35-35 over which a pair of continuous conveyor chain belts 36 and 36 are mounted for travel; it being noted that the belts have portions adapted to move upwardly within one side of the elevator shaft, then to pass horizontally over the sprocket wheel on shafts 28 and 32, then back and over a set of smaller sprocket wheels 40 on a cross shaft 4!, and then directly ots 46-46 as noted in Fig. 4 and therefore retaintheir position relative to the chain and its direction of travel.

It will readily be understood that, with the belts moving in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the buckets will necessarily move downwardly along one side of the elevator shaft to its lower end, then will travel upwardly.

By removal of boards l2 from the side of the shaft down to a certain level the fish may be admitted from the ships hold over the top edge of the remaining wall section and will be scooped up with the water and elevated, and delivered from the boat.

As'the buckets pass over the sprockets carried by the cross shaft 32, the fish will be dumped therefrom, and to facilitate the discharge from the boat to a receiving vessel, I have provided a chute 0r trough 50, which rests at its outer end portion on the boat rail and at'its inner end has side studs 5! seated removably in upwardly opening notches 52 in the end portions of angle bars 60 that are fixed to the elevator in position to hold the trough directly. below the point of discharge from the buckets.

In order that no fish will be lost-from the buckets while they are moving horizontally, I l

For the purpose of driving the elevator chain's,

I have mounted an electric motor in on the upper end plate of the frame structure and have con"- nected this, through a reduction gear mechanism H, with a cross shaft 12 mounting a sprocket wheel 13 and a wheel 16 on 'the "outer end of cross haft 32.

In use, for unloading a boats hold, containing freshly caught fish, the elevator frame is lowered into the hold until its lower end rests in the sump, as shown. Then the side boards 12 are removed, from the top down to just below the fish level and the fish are permitted to fiowinto the shaft tobe scooped up by the upwardly traveling buckets. As the level of fish in the boat goes down, the cover boards l2 are removed accordingly. The buckets, as 'hereused, remove water from the hold along with the fish, and the usual task of taking this out later is avoided.

Such elevators are easily handled, and may be moved from boat to boat, and thus'much labor Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An elevator of the character described comprising a frame structure forming a vertical shaft adapted to be disposed through the hatchway of a boat, to extend to the bottom of ahold containing a. fluid cargo and to project above the deck, a

continuous "conveyor "belt, with buckets fixed thereto, operable vertically in the shaft, for removal of cargo from the hold and for lateral .delivery thereof from the upper end of the shaft, power mechanism mounted on the upper end of comprising sections that are successively demountable from the upper end of the wall downwardly to provide for the inflow of cargo to the 'sh'aft'over the top edgeof-that wall in accordance with the removal of the sections.

2. A fishelev'ator of the character "described comprising afframe structure adapted to be extended vertically through the hatchway of a boat to rest on the bottom "of the hold and to extend above the ooatst'deck; said shaft being closed at its lower end and' side to a height above level to which-the boat is filled with fish; an elevator 'operable i'n 'the *shaft for elevation of fish and for'th'e'ir delivery laterally from the upper end of the shaft; said frame being formed along one side with parallel guideways, and a succession of side "boards forming the side wall at that side {of'the frame, with opposite end retained in the guidew'ays'; said boards being successively removable fromf'the guldeways .to lower. the effective height of the wall for 'infio'w of fish to the conveyor. f c

3. In combination, a boat having a fish cargo hold formed withta'drainage sump and a hatchway'opening through the deck to said hold, afish elevator comprising a "portable frame structure positioned through the'h'at'chway and resting at r lbwerend in the sump and extending substantiallyabove the hatchway and having a lateral extension at its upper end, an endless belt conveyor with buckets attached, operable lengthwise rtnerrameana in the lateral extension for the elevation of fish rrem the hold and a lateral delivery from the frame; said frame being closed at its lower end and sides to a height above the loadin'glevel, and having the side adjacent the upgoingside of the belt closed by side boards that 'are successively removable to lower the height of the wall for admission of fish to the conveyor, and a delivery trough attached to the upper end portion of the frame for reception and discharge of the fish as received from the conveyor.

WILLIAM F. SCI-ILOTHAN. 

